Wis. Road Crash Kills at Least 12

JULIET WILLIAMS

Published
7:00 pm CDT, Thursday, October 10, 2002

Associated Press Writer

CEDAR GROVE, Wis. (AP) _ More than two dozen vehicles crashed on a foggy highway Friday morning, killing at least 12 in a pile of charred and twisted metal in the deadliest auto accident in state history. At least 34 others were injured, several critically.

Rescue workers picked through the wreckage for more victims in four smoldering piles along Interstate 43 some 60 miles north of Milwaukee.

More victims may be found, Sheboygan County Sheriff Loni Koenig said.

"I would just say, that in my 21 years, it's the most horrific scene I have ever seen," Koenig said.

The previous record for fatalities in a Wisconsin traffic accident was nine on May 30, 1937, Wisconsin State Patrol Lt. Nick Scorcio said.

Some victims were burned beyond recognition and authorities said it may take DNA analysis to identify them.

"I can't even describe how awful that scene is out there," Koenig said.

She said seven people were in critical condition at area hospitals.

Families anxiously awaited word about missing relatives.

"My brother didn't show up for work today," said Todd Behling of his brother, Eric. "He would have called. That's why I'm not too hopeful right now. The trouble is, no news is bad news right now."

The crashes happened about 7:30 a.m. on both sides of the interstate as heavy fog engulfed the road just west of Lake Michigan.

One vehicle after another plowed into each other, and at least eight burst into flames. State Patrol Sgt. John Jones said visibility was "next to nothing" when the first officers arrived.

Kevin Fetterer, who swerved his vehicle into the median to escape the pileups, told WHBL-AM radio that cars and trucks plowed into each other for four to five minutes.

"I heard popping noises, which I assumed were gas tanks exploding," he said.

When the fog lifted a few minutes later, Fetterer saw flames rising 20 to 30 feet in the air. The vehicles included several trucks, and the pavement was scarred by black skids marks. One car was smashed between two trucks.

Jones said the pileups may have started when two cars crashed, then slowed to pull over, causing cars behind them to brake.

"We have vehicles that have been double stacked _ vehicles on top of vehicles, vehicles underneath the tractor-trailer unit," he said. "I tried to walk around there and get an accurate count of the vehicles, but we couldn't."

Wreckers removed 10 vehicles from the pileup by early afternoon and were lifting cars to look underneath them for victims.